Foundries See Mixed Future

Amid a tumultuous business environment, the silicon foundry industry is projected to see steady growth in a number of process segments in 2017.

As in past years, the foundry market is expected to grow faster than the overall IC industry in 2017. But at the same time, the IC industry—the foundry customer base—continues to witness a frenetic wave of merger and acquisition activity. Basically, the consolidation translates into a dwindling customer base for foundry vendors.

Adding to the uncertainty is a mixed picture for the overall IC market in 2017, plus some possible instability in the current economic and political climate.